Sunday, September 27, 2009 JOHANNESBURG: New Zealand astonishingly defeated Sri Lanka by 38 runs in their Group B match of the ICC Champions Trophy here at the New Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.Chasing a difficult target of 316 runs, Sri Lanka batted well but could not reach the target as they were all out for 277 in 46.4 overs.Despite a good opening stand of 66 runs between Sanath Jayasuriya (24) and Tillekaratne Dillshan (41), Sri Lanka began losing wickets at regular intervals and soon they were reeling at 141 for six. However, former captain Mahela Jayawardene stood firm and along together with Nuwan Kulasekera took the score to 219 adding 78 for the seventh wicket.Jayawardene made 77 while Kulasekera remained not out on 57.For New Zealand, Kyle Mills claimed three wickets while Daryl Tuffey, James Franklin and Daniel Vettori took two wickets each.Earlier, New Zealand batsmen displayed brilliant batting performance by plundering a mammoth score of 315 runs against Sri Lanka here at the New Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.After Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to field, New Zealand openers Brenden McCullum and Jesse Ryder provided a sound start and made together 125 runs in 20 overs before Ryder departed on 74 and soon after McCullum also fell on 46.Martin Guptill also made half-century and scored 66. he added 69 runs for sixth wicket with his captain Daniel Vettori (48) and 54 for seventh wicket with James Franklin (28).For Sri Lanka, Sanath Jayasuriya captured three wickets for 39 and Angelo Mathews two for 33.
BAGHDAD: Nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives started shifting to southern Afghanistan."We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban."We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.
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